


thy soul is by vile fear assailed

by thebetterbina



Series: the devil is not as black as he is painted [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Disturbing Themes, F/F, Harry is a Little Shit, M/M, Vatican, harry is lonely he has to drag someone he knows, im sorry luna, uhhhh hermione is a demon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:21:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23356117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebetterbina/pseuds/thebetterbina
Summary: “Tell me this at least,” he tries, looking to plead with the demon. “Tell me she won’t die.”Harry giggles, “Father, I would never do something to hurt you that way.”Luna visits, and Tom becomes legitimately concerned when his demon shows too much interest in her.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Hermione Granger/Luna Lovegood
Series: the devil is not as black as he is painted [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677247
Comments: 6
Kudos: 97





	thy soul is by vile fear assailed

**Author's Note:**

> beta done by my wife, [liz ♡](https://twitter.com/lizardayo)
> 
> THIRD PART YALL

_“Midway along the journey of our life_  
_I woke to find myself in a dark wood,_  
_for I had wandered off from the straight path.”_

* * *

Tom’s circle of acquaintances is small, limited really to the fathers and sisters dedicated to the church. It’s not uncommon by any means, and Tom frankly only feels comfortable associating with the people he’s grown up with―being a church orphan himself meant he never quite got to expand that circle. 

Luna is the same, little more than a toddler when she was abandoned at the orphanage’s front door, and with her waxen white hair and pale eyes she’d look like a ghost in the rain. She was small, soft-spoken, far too shy―the closest thing to a sibling he had while growing up. She’d gone on to remain in the church, just like Tom, working with the many other orphans that were also left at their gates. 

“You never wrote back, Tom, I got worried.” 

Her smile is meek, brows pinched, Tom avoids eye contact. Plenty has changed between the last letter she’d written and the Tom that sits in front of her now. Harry carefully walks by, placing a tray on the table between them and setting out the tea set humming a soft tune. He pours her a cup, brimming, steaming, and Tom one too―before ambling off to tend to the tart he’d attempted baking earlier that morning, it’s smell still wafting the corridors of the house, lemon sharp in the air.

Luna’s eyes follow the boy. She tries not to stare but she does give Tom a particularly hard look when Harry is out of sight.

“ _ Tom _ ―”

“It is  _ not _ what you think.” He starts, a little harsher than necessary, but he knows where Luna’s mind is going considering the number of times Harry has already been mistaken for  _ his _ . “Harry is my nephew.”

A look of confusion crosses her face, he clears his throat before continuing. “Apparently I had a sister I didn’t know about. She died last winter, wanted Harry to go to the closest relative.” Luna’s about to respond, wanting to rebut that sentence but Tom silences her with a hand. “I couldn’t say no, it was a dying woman’s wish.” 

Her mouth closes, a frown set on her features now. Her fingers idly thumb the delicate china teacup before raising the steaming tea to her lips, taking a sip. Her eyes widen, sparkling. “Oh wow, this is wonderful.”

Tom scrunches his face, looking down at the liquid set before him. Harry has made plenty of tea for him in the time they were together, the demon had a strange penchant for it, but it never garnered that kind of response from Tom. He takes his own sip, tasting nothing different. It’s reddish in colour, and Tom can’t really identify the tea beyond the sharp sweetness on his tongue and the smell of flowers in his nose. 

“It can’t be anything special, surely.”

She huffs at him, “You try living at the monastery again, flavourless tea for weeks will let you appreciate how nicely brewed this is.” 

He takes her word for it, watching her enjoy her cup and pour a second for herself just as Harry brings out two slices of the lemon meringue tart. She takes an eager bite, cooing fondly at Harry who hides abashedly behind the tray.

“You are such a talented darling, Tom certainly doesn’t deserve you.” 

Harry scuffs his shoes on the floor, flushing lightly, looking every part the orphaned nephew he was meant to play. Tom fixes Luna with a look before Harry has to duck away, giggling as he runs back to the kitchen. 

They chat idly the entire time as they finish the tea, sharing new stories of the time spent apart with Luna updating Tom on practically everyone in their little circle. Tom has to fabricate a story of being on a Vatican mission and Luna, bless her heart, believes every word. The sun begins to set before Luna decides she has to go, giving Harry a fond hug even though the boy had spent most of the time hidden away as they spoke, but promises to return with some candies for him. 

* * *

“You were awfully nice.”

“I like her, Tom. She’s very ... sweet.”

* * *

The second time Luna visits, Harry brews the same tea that Luna adores. It’s the same because Tom recognises the same reddish colour that makes the liquid shimmer in a scarlet that shouldn’t be possible from what should be just plain tea. It’s not like he can smack the cup out of her hands, however, not when she’s praising Harry for being such a wonderful baker, setting down a rich chocolate cake this time. Tom becomes more nervous the more Luna drinks the tea, and he’s hesitant to touch his own now, but there’s nothing noticeably wrong with Luna.

  
“Things at the orphanage are … difficult. We don’t have enough hands to help with all the kids coming in. The older ones do their best, but still.” She sighs, it’s a soft, sad thing, but she perks up, smiling again. “We’re managing.”

Tom doesn’t like the slight bags forming under her tired eyes.

* * *

“What did you put in our tea.”

When Luna leaves Tom finally forces Harry to a corner. He’s more than a little righteously furious. He’d refused to touch his own cup after noticing that tiny little detail he hadn’t the first time. He feels stupid for trusting a demon, contracted or not he’s not sure he can touch another thing coming from Harry’s fingertips. 

Harry shrugs, uncaring, “Nothing that would hurt you, mentally or physically.”

“Her.” Tom stresses, “I’m talking about Luna.”

Harry’s eyes finally flicker over to Tom, emerald green and dangerously slit. “Let me remind you, father Thomas, the contract between us is only  _ between us _ . What I do otherwise on these mortal realms is none of your concern. Besides,” And Tom fears for Luna when Harry actually smiles. “I’d like to see the outcome of all this.”

* * *

The third time Luna visits, it’s after a long stretch of silence between them that even has Tom worried. But she does visit, looking paler than usual, eye bags much more pronounced, she looks stressed but still manages a bright grin when she sees Tom. Harry brews them tea again, simple sugar cookies to accompany. And whilst Tom desperately wants to stop Luna from touching the cursed red liquid he  _ can’t _ , not when Harry watches Tom from where he stands just a little further from them, the threat from before still weighing on his mind. 

_ “Oh,” Harry had added as an afterthought. “I won’t hesitate to kill her if you stop me.” _

Luna downs the tea like it’s her Eucharist, taking nibbles of the adorably shaped treats without actually speaking to Tom. 

“Luna,” he starts. She blinks, seemingly out of a trance. “Luna, what is wrong?”

She frowns, biting her lip, a nervous tick he knows is from their childhood, Luna trying to hide something from him again. Tom tries harder, “Luna. You must tell me.”

“It’s really nothing Tom, it’s just we have a new sister in the orphanage helping us and―” Luna seemingly stops herself, freezing. Before laughing softly and waving a hand. “No, it’s nothing. Trust me. It’s … well, it’s nice having more help.” 

Tom doesn’t believe that. Not for one bit. He does try to push, but the more he does the more she resists even talking about whatever that has to be bothering her. By the time she has to leave, it’s a little more solemn.

* * *

“Tell me this at least,” he tries, looking to plead with the demon. “Tell me she won’t die.”

Harry giggles, “Father, I would never do something to hurt you that way.”

* * *

Luna visits, this time bringing a sister from the orphanage.

“Tom,” and Luna looks considerably better now, the bags are gone and some of her brightness has returned. “This is Sister Hermione, the one I spoke of last week who’s helping us with the orphans now.”

Tom can immediately tell there is … something off with Hermione. It’s the smile, the eyes. It feels familiar but he knows for a fact he doesn’t know this woman who introduces herself so kindly. She’s young, basically the same age as Luna. He can hear Harry working in the kitchen as he invites the two in. 

He tries his best to brush off his unwarranted apprehension of Hermione, who doesn’t at all act out of place with her soft brown eyes and voice in a lilting sweetness. Luna likes her as well,  _ very _ well in fact, considering how close she sits and how often her grey eyes glance over to Hermione, a blush so evident on her face.

“And Tom has the sweetest nephew, Harry brews this wonderful tea―” Luna starts, just as Harry appears with his tea set. But what Tom isn’t prepared for is the bright, wide, familiar smile on Hermione’s face as she sees him.

“Harry?”

“‘Mione!” Harry’s glee is mimicked, and confusion dawns on both Tom and Luna. Harry rushes to set the tray down and both embrace each other with a tightness that runs nothing short of loving. 

“H―Hermione?” Luna sounds unsure, flitting questioning glances to Tom who has about as much understanding of the situation as she does.

Hermione blinks and suddenly those warm brown eyes are molten yellow, glowing,  _ glowing _ , and there are sharp canines to the sister’s smile as she speaks too. “Darling, your brother’s nephew just happens to be my best friend.” 

Harry has the same mimicked, his eyes reverted to the brightened green of a peering cat, the air shifting between them, distorting, warping in a familiar way Tom knows is the same as that day he’d attempted to summon a demon. Harry’s face is stretched in a Cheshire grin, and what he says next has Tom sick to his stomach as he takes in the rapidly paling face of his sister.

“Welcome to the club, Luna.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm active [on my Twitter](https://twitter.com/therealconnor60)! (´,,•ω•,,)♡
> 
> id like to think harry slipped in his blood to weaken luna mentally so hermione could slip in KDSJNDJKNSJKD is hermione a demon or a vampire im not even sure at this point i just know she isnt good thats all i got folks


End file.
